Blog of Alex Hacker's Two Year Mission to the LDS Paris, France Mission 2015-2017

Alex

Friday, April 21, 2017

Week 71 Epilogue -- More on Breaking Boards (From March 27)

[Alex told us about the district activity he did with breaking boards in his email this week. An account of that neat activity was shared by one of the missionaries in attendance, and we thought it was worth posting since it tells us a lot more about the lesson Alex was sharing]

From Elder Richards (who is a zone leader in Rennes and part of Alex's district]

Apart from cleaning and traveling, we had a great meeting in the city that I'm in, Rennes. We met together and discussed faith. We, as a mission, are going to help the congregations we are in attain the goals that they have fixed for themselves this year. To illustrate that faith, a stupendous Elder from Wyoming named Elder Hacker shared a story and an object lesson. He had us break plywood boards by punching them. The missionary holding the boards was the member, repressing them supporting us, holding on to us and our friends. We were the fists, doing everything with all the strength we had to help us accomplish the task of breaking the board.His story was doing this at a seminary class (a religious class we go to before or during school. It's the reason why some Mormon high schoolers wake up at 5:30am everyday.) and being the last one to go up before the class and break he board. He watched the whole class, including smaller and scrawnier students, all succeed but told himself over and over that he would not be able to. He went up, feeling upset at this unfavorable situation, and gave the board a weak poke with his fist to get it over with and sit down. When he tried to return to his seat, however, his instructor encouraged him to try again. His friends then got behind him and his confidence rose. He tried again and this time did it at 100%. He said this was one of the times in his life where he really feels like he gave something his all. He broke the board and was enormously content. He said this is how faith works very often; we doubt, but if we move forward trusting in our Savior and our God, we are capable of great things that otherwise would be beyond us. I was able to do a little too much when my turn came, and ended up punching through the board and into my companions abdominal region.
Here is a little video Alex sent us of that board breaking activity, entitled "Soeur Flora Piazza smites a board in two during a district meeting"

About Me

My name is Alex Hacker and I have been called to serve as a full-time missionary for two years for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the France Paris mission. While I'm away I get to send home emails which my family is collecting and putting into this blog.